Safety switch



This'invention relates to improvements in V Patented Oct. 12, 1926. m

' switches for railways, the general object of 7 the invention beingt-o provide the switch with locking means which will? hold the ating-meanslhave beend'amagedt Another object of the invention'is. to so arrange the locking neansithat they can-be locked in"operative-position by "ii-suitable lock so that they cannot be tamperedwith switch' in set position. eyen though the; operby an unauthorized person. A g Aiurther object of the invention is to trated lin the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended providemeansfor automatically causing the locking device to lock theswitch against.

claims. 7 v I I V 'In describing'myinvention in detail, reference will behad to'the; accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters denote like orcorresponding'parts throughoutthe sevnected together bythe bar 1 which isfasterr ed by a link 2 to an arm 3 ofthe switch op-'. erating shaft 4, rotatably mounted in they stand 5 and having the handle 6 attachedthereto so that it can be rotated to move the switch points to cause the train to continue over the main line or to take the branch line."

eral views, and in which ze- Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the-switch part of a track showing the invention in use, with the parts thereof in position to permit ated. t

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the device in position for locking the switch against movement. f I t Figure 3 is 'a plan view of'Figure 2.

' Figure. 4 is a view of one of the locking members; r Figure 5 is a viewof the pawl.

Figure 6 is-a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the parts in a position'where the dog '15 engages the top of the dog 11.

In these views,'A indicates the rails of the main line, B the rails of the branch line-and C the/switch points. These points are con- These parts are of the well known or any desired construction and form no part of my invention. a V r ew-swim the switch to be oper- Aprilieatidirfilcd bctober" 7, 1 525; s eii ai 'ltoi 61 11581 arryingsoaemy inventiomfl provide a f rod 7' wh ch is slidablymounted in" theup; 7

rights S arr-ang'ed inaficasing 9, locatedun der a'portion of -the track. "One end oif' this' rod is extended upwardly and passes through a hole-10-in the top ofthe casing a-nd is on nested to'one of'th'e switch points The: 3 1

other end ofthe rod abuts against t-l1e1fpivot 'ed dog 11in thecasing Q, which is normally held in i-tsforward position-fby aspring l2.

A spring '13f-maybe'usedto 1101a the rO df-Y iir'its forward positionyif desiredfor iiecesfsary. This spring is pla ced between theup J rights S and abuts aeolian-14 fastened to the rod. The dog11has a 'notchlilvitlierein and a locking dog E15, alsopivoted'rinthe casing, is adapted to engage saidhotchg-Wheh the dog 15 is swung forwardlygito prevent movement or" the dog; ll-Qand "thereby the switch points'an'd-therod rod '16'is 'slidably arranged i-ntheeasing 9 -a1nd passes 1 a through one end of the easing- "and: & into casing 17 One end of thls rod is 'pivoted to the locking dog 15 andjitsotherendis con nected bv a link IStotheKdejnending p'art'or arm 19 of a shaft 20 whichisfijournaledwin brackets connectedwithsome "of t'he' ties'ofj r 1 l the track. "A *handle21is connected-with the shaft sot-hatit can be rocked andthislhandle;

when -l1'l its -,lowest position-, willfi engage a bracket22 which is provided with holes 23 so thatva padlock or the'likecan be passed through the bracket to lock the handletherein. In this position of the parts, the rod 16 will have moved the dog 15 over against the,

the rod 16 rearwardly and thus 'movethe dog 15 away from the dog 11. Then the' switch can be'thrown in the usual manner as the rod 7 willpush the dog 11 to the right in Figure 1, as the movement ofthis dog will notbeinterfered with by the dog 15. A springv2 1- tends to move the partsto locking 1 position by engaging a collar 25 on. the rod" 16 and a portionof-the casing 9. A pawl 26;

is pivotedin the casing 17 and is adapted to engage a notch 27in the'rod 16 toprevent the spring 24: from moving the rod '16 in a reverse" direction from which fit has been moved by the'raising of the handle 21. A

link 28 is pivoted to the rod 7 and has a link 28 will swing the pawl 18 out of" the notch 27 and thus permit the spring 24; to How' move the parts to locking position. ever, this action is delayed, owing to the slot and pin connection between the link and pawl, untilthe dOg 11 has been moved farv enough to prevent the dog 15 from entering the notch 11 in the dog 11. Thus the dog. 15 will engage the rounded upper end of the dog 11 but will not prevent movement of said dog 11 as shown inFigure 6. Then when the switch points are moved back to their normal position, the dog 11 will return to its upright position under theaction of the spring 12 and the dog 15 will drop into the notch 11 and thus again lock the parts in this position, and the switch cannot be again moved until the handle 21 is lifted. Holes 31 are arranged in the casings to prevent water from collecting therein.

Viththis device, the switch is locked in position and cannot be moved until the lever 21 is unlocked and raised. Then when the switch ismov ed to permit a train to pass from the main line to the branch line and then moved back to its normal position, the locking device will automatically again lock the switch against movement. 1L6 device will hold the switch against movement even though the switch stand has been knocked down or injured. c

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire. it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the COHIblDfilDlOIl and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

enable the parts to return to locking position.

movement of said member,

2. A locking device for a railroad switch,

comprising a casing arranged under the track ad acent the switch, anotched dog in the casing, a lOClIlIlgllOg'lD the casing for engaging the notch to hold the first dog against movement, a rod connected with a switch point and slidably arranged in the casing and arranged to move the notched dog when the switch is zmoved, a spring pressed rod pivoted tothe second dog, a

hand operated part connected with the rod for moving the same to move the dog to unlocking position, a pawl for holding the spr ng pressed llOClWllBh the dog in-unlocking position and a link connecting the pawl with the rod attached to the switch point for moving the pawl to inactive position when the switch is moved.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FELIX L. ARNALL. 

